Justin Clark - Why I am Running

Hello and welcome to the home of the official website for Justin Clark's campaign for the California State Assembly in district 45. While I do not want to hit every visitor with a wall of text I would like to take the time to personally lay out why I am running:

When I look around me I see the many challenges California faces and how they are affecting our community. I also see that people have largely accepted that our elected officials aren't giving it their all to address our state's complex needs. That hurts. These are real people being affected by real issues. Our neighbors and family members. They deserve to be able to have faith in their government. Such a concept seems lost on our legislature. When someone in our community is hurting we are all hurting. Our government has a duty to work fervently to fix the challenges that are stalling progress. No one said being a representative was easy. Solutions do not come out of thin air, but it is the duty of public servants to work to find them. The status quo of government isn't working. It's time for change. We can no longer accept average or decent public officials. We need people who are willing to challenge the status quo. People who can, and will, go above and beyond in their quest to ensure the public good. At the end of the day we are all Californians and we will sink or swim together.

So who am I? Why am I running?I am Justin Clark, an 18-year-old college student currently attending California State University Northridge while also working at a local ice cream shop. I do not have some long history in public service, and I certainly have not been taking a cookie cutter approach in planning my life perfectly so that I can one day run for office with the perfect story. The truth is that I am an average person...a person who cares deeply about those around him and the community he lives in. I have grown increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress coming out of Sacramento at the expense of all of us Californians. While I may not be what one traditionally expects to find on the ballot, I am sensitive to the need for change. Our traditional choices have either been elected and not followed through on their promises, or they lost because they failed to let their message resonate with the voter. What I am putting forward is not new ideas. In fact I am quite certain many people feel the same way. Sadly no one has put it in simple terms before. It is my hope that we can band together and finally say to the world that we will no longer accept the status quo, and that the time for change is now. If elected I will not let my passion and love for my community and progress waiver. The last thing we need is another official saying 'that's how government works.' Government is supposed to serve the people not be a bureaucratic nightmare.If you share in my beliefs, I encourage you to visit the issues tab and read more. I also encourage you to get involved - be it volunteering, donating, or both. The road ahead is long and it will be a tough fight, but I am confident if we can come together it will all be worth it in the end. This is about the real people and the community we share.

If elected I will fight for all of us. We need to restore common sense to Sacramento.